TEXAS MODULAR HOME WILL RUN ON RAINWATER AND SUNSHINE ALONE

Although the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition is focused on renewable energy, one of the teams chosen to build a house for this fall's event will take resource conservation a step further.

The University of Texas at Austin, partnering with Germany's Technische Universitat Munchen, will construct a home that is net zero usage for energy as well as water. The team's NexusHaus, which will be on display during the competition held Oct. 8 to 18 in Irvine, Calif., will be one of the country's first water-independent dwellings, and its design could have major ramifications for home builders in drought-prone areas and beyond. Its concepts have takeaways for builders across the country as more jurisdictions allow measures such as potable rainwater reuse and graywater recycling.

NexusHaus: A Modular Design Addressing Density The student-led team was adamant that water conservation be integral to the design of the house, as Central Texas' drought could soon reach the same level of urgency as the one in California, fueled in part by an influx of new residents. The state's population will double over the next 50 years but available water supply is projected to decline by 10%, according to the Texas Water Development Board.

A student-designed home offers ideas for builders in drought-prone areas and beyond.

The University of Texas at Austin, partnering with Germany's Technische Universitat Munchen, will construct a home that is net zero usage for energy as well as water. The team's NexusHaus, which will be on display during the competition held Oct. 8 to 18 in Irvine, Calif., will be one of the country's first water-independent dwellings, and its design could have major ramifications for home builders in drought-prone areas and beyond. Its concepts have takeaways for builders across the country as more jurisdictions allow measures such as potable rainwater reuse and graywater recycling.